Packing retainer for journal boxes



1949- I M. LAGREID ETAL 2,461,287

PACKING RETAINER FOR JOURNAL BOXES Filed June 7, 1945 .2 Sheets-Sheet 11 m gyy Mc (iuire M. LAGREID ET AL PACKING RETAINER EOR JOURNAL BOXES IFeb. 8, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '7, 1945 Henr Mo Guire I Patented Feb. 8,1949 PACKING RETAINER FOR JOURNAL BOXES Magnus LagreidandilohniienryMcGuire, Minneapolis, .Minn.

Application June 7, 194 5, Serial No. "598,060

In "conventional practice, railway :cars, :or the trucks of railwaycars, :are borne :on axle journals, each of which is received in :ajournal box equipped with :a journal bearing resting on the journal andheld in place in the journal box Joya wedge. The journal and the bearingare lubricated by a packing of oiled :waste carried in the lower portionof the journal box in contact with the under surface of the journal. Thepacking should be loose enough to hold the maximum :of oil consistentwith full wiping contact with "the lower surface of the journal tocontinuously lubricate it as the journal revolves. But the :waste mustnot :get between the journal and "the bearing, :for in that position itimpairs or prevents proper lubrication :and causes What car .men callwaste grab, resulting in a hot :box.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a packing retainerthat will confine the packing to its proper sphere, within suitablelimits of movement when the motion of the journal :is reversed, and willeifectively collect all the loose and short ends of the packing andprevent their being carried .up to the edges of the journal .bearmg.

. Generally speaking, .this is accomplished by providing apackingretainer having sidepieces to overlie the packing at each side of thejournal, a front piece connecting the side pieces :and the cover tooverlie the packing beyond the collar on the ournal, andwa ;post:risingfrom each :side. piece to a point adjacent to the top of the journalbox. This retainer hosts with the packing and allows the packing to movewith each reversal of rotation of the journal, as it should, to preventor break up glazing, but it retains the packing within the limits-setbythe side pieces coming in contact with the lugs inside of the journalbox and the ,posts striking against the top of the journal box. Theparticular arrangement here disclosed collects all loose and short endsof the packing on the side pieces and cover plate, from whence they areeasily removed.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of .a journalbox equipped with a retainer according to this invention, a portion ofthe box being broken :away to show'the parts on the interior;

Fig. 2 is "a perspective view of the retainer removed from the journalbox and reversed end'to end with respect'toFig. I1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the journal boxshowing thejournal, the bearing,.the wedge andlthe retainer -in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a half end view and half transverse vertical section of thejournal -box and associted parts shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In Figs. 1, 3, and 4, the journal box indicated generally by In is a 5 x9" A. A. R. standard freight car journal box, details of which may be 5Claims. (Cl. 308-49,)

found in Car Builders Cyclopedia, .1943, pages 1163.:and 1164. Thejournal 2H has the usual .collar .12 at its outer end. Resting on thejournal is the journal bearing I23 having projections 51:4 whichcontactlug 15 .on the inside of the journal box to limit the inward movement ofthe bearing.

The top of the bearing has polygonal surfaces t6 adapted to be receivedwithin corresponding surfaces all "onthe under sideof .a journal bearingwedge 11:8 provided with surfaces 19 contacting with the .inner faces ofthe lugs 15 to limit the lateral motion of the wedge within the journalbox. Outward 'motionof the wedge is limited :by its :end coming in.contact with downwardly directed lugs 20 at the front of the journalbox, and inward movement of the wedge is limited :by the shoulder 2d .atthe inner end of the bearing.

The journal box :is packed-with an oily mateausuazl'ly .oil soaked waste:22, which fills the lower portion of the journal box up to about themiddle :or horizontal diameter .of the journal. Asthe journalrotates,the waste continually wipes the-surface of the journal presented to it,and thus .centinuallysupp'lies it with the thin layeror coating of oilnecessary :to lubricate theadjacent surfaces of the journal and thebearing.

llhe details of :all the things heretofore mentionedand others common:to journals and journal box arrangements are familiar, and it isdeemedrsuflicienttomerely refer :to the (JarBuilders Cyclopedia, abovementioned, without further :description.

The-preferred form and construction of a packing retainer embodying thisinvention is best shown in the perspective view (Fig. It includes twoside pieces, generally indicated by 24, connected at their *front endsby a front piece 25. They are here shown, and preferably are, of anglesection :with the flanges 26 and 2:! arranged vertically an'd theflanges .23 and 29 horizontally. The angle section may be either rolled.or pressed metal, and in the present-construction portions of thehorizontal flanges are cut away to allow for the corner :bends "30 atthe juncture of the side and front pieces, and when the adjacent facesthus formed-are brought together they are welded as indica'ted at 3l,'-producing'what for want of a betterterm' may be called a U-s'hapedframe. A cover plate =32 extending between the side pieces 2 adjacenttothe front piece is welded on the horizontal flanges 28.

inwardly with respect to the cover plate the flangesZB arecut awayattflto provide clearance for the "collar l2 on the end of-the journal.

Posts *33 have their lower ends welded to flanges 26 of the side pieces26 and extend upwardly toward the top of the journal box.

As an example of specific construction that has been found satisfactoryfor this size and type of journal box, the retainer shown in thedrawings course, suitable variations will readily be made by others tosuit particular conditions.

From the drawings, it will be seen that the side pieces 24 overlie thepacking at each side of the journal, and they are so related to the sidewalls of the box that neither piece can at any time come in contact withthe journal. 7 But the upper edge of each side piece may come in contactwith the lower portion of the corresponding lug on the inside wall ofthe journal box to limit its upward movement. V V

The posts .33 rising from the side pieces 24 to points adjacent to thetop of the journal box clear the sides of the journal box and the sidesof the journal bearing and journal bearing wedge, and are thus free tomove within the limits of the allowable dimensions.

The front piece 21 and the associated cover plate 32,.which obviouslymay be made in one, overlie the packing outwardly with respect to thecollar E2 on the endof the journal, leaving clearance, as shown in Figs.1 and 3, for access to the packing 22 for'spooning and adjusting.

Assuming the journal box to be properly packed with just the rightamount of oil waste, the retainer is inserted to the position shown inFigs. 1, 3, and 4 overlying the packing, where it floats with thepacking and allows the packing to move within the clearance provided, asthe occasion of service requires, due to the rotation of the journal andthe reversal of that rotation. Constructed as described, it has justsufficient weight for the purposewithout putting enough pressure on thepacking to interfere with proper operation. If the packing starts toroll up in the back of the box, it will raise the corresponding sidepiece 24 until the upper edge of the flange 26 comes against thecorrespondinging lug l5, when no further rolling of the. packing will bepermitted. If the packing starts to roll up in front, it will raise thecorresponding side piece 24 until the post 33 carried by it comesagainst the top of the journal box, when no further rolling will bepermitted.

Experience in actual use with the construction here shown reveals thefact that all loose and short ends of the packing that get free from themass collect upon the horizontal flanges 28 and the cover plate 32, fromwhich they are easily removed from the box, and it seems clear that thepacking as a Whole remains cleaner and lasts much longer than would bethe case without the' retainer. 7 V

The retainer is always free and can be easily inserted or removed.Therecess 35 in the top of the box just behind the lugs 20 affordssufficient space for the upper end of the posts 33 to let the notchedportions 34 of the side pieces 24 clear the collar [2 as the retainer ismoved into or out of position, which operation is very easilyaccomplished without tools.

In this connection, attention is directed to the curved inner endportions 36 of the side pieces 24, which are so formed to preventpicking up the packing as the retainer is inserted or removed from itsposition in the journal box. The curve 4 is here shown as chiefly in thehorizontal flange 2B, but may be made by an appropriate bend in theangle section as a whole followed by removing the upper corner of thevertical flange 26.

We claim: a

1. In a packing retainer for journal boxes, two spaced side pieces ofangle section with their horizontal flanges directed toward each otherand their vertical flanges directed upwardly from the outer edges of thehorizontal flanges, a front piece connecting the side pieces, a coverplate between the side pieces adjacent to the front piece, and a postextending upwardly from each side piece behind the cover plate.

2. For use in a journal box having inwardly directed lugs at each side,a journal bearing therein engaging the lugs, a journal on which thejournal bearing rests and lubricated packing in the bottom of the box incontact with the journal, a packing retainer comprising a forked framehaving side pieces of angle section connected at their front by a frontpiece, a front cover between the side pieces and depressed below theupper edges of the adjacent portions of the front and side pieces, and apost extending upwardly from each side piece at the rear of the cover.

'3. For use in a journal box having inwardly directed lugs at each side,a journal bearing therein engaging the lugs, a journal on which thejournal bearing rests and lubricated packing in the bottom of the box incontact with the journal, a packing retainer comprising a forked framehaving side pieces connected at their front by a front piece, a coverbetween the side pieces adjacent to the front piece below'the level ofthe upper edges of the adjacent portions of the front and side pieces,and a post extending upwardly from each side piece at therear of thecover plate.

4. In a packing retainer for journal boxes, a generally U-shaped framecomprising two spaced side pieces having horizontally. disposed flatportions connected at one end by a front piece and each having itsopposite end turned upwardly to provide a flat upturned nose to preventpicking up packing in the journal box as the frame is slid endwise intothe journal box, and a post extending upwardly from each sidepiecebetween the front piece and said upturned nose.

5. In a packing retainer for journal boxes, a generally U-shaped framecomprising two spaced side pieces of angle section with their horizontalflanges directed toward each other, a front piece connecting the sidepieces at one end of each,

REFERENCES CITED 7 V x The following references are of record in thefile-of this patent: 1 r

UNITED STATES 'PV'ATENTS Date Number Name 1,675,751 Dyer July 3, 19282,328,883 .Wilson Sept. 7, 1943 2,357,233

Sohaney Aug. 29, 1944

